Chances We Take
by hiccups pickle
Summary: Hiccup Haddock fears that his father's new position as Minister Of Magic will affect his life at Hogwarts. Jack Frost is trying to make sure his friends are happy, while also dealing with hardships at home. Their sixth year at Hogwarts is the year they grow closer. But the entire Wizarding World is about to shift.
1. Chapter One

_1: The First Day_

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Hiccup Haddock had mixed feelings about going back to Hogwarts for his sixth year.

On one hand, he was excited to see his friends again.

On the other, he dreaded the way people would look at him.

He could already feel it as he walked through the corridor of the Hogwarts Express. People were turning their heads to watch him walk, to see if anything had changed about him. He even noticed some people watching him through the doors and windows of the train compartments. Among the chatters, he heard his father's name whispered.

The black cat locked in a basket atop Hiccup's trunk growled at the people staring.

"Toothless," Hicup scolded quietly. The cat hissed, he didn't enjoy being reprimanded. But after that he stayed quiet.

Hiccup walked faster, only stopping when younger students passed him. He walked until he was nearing the end of the train. There he found the compartment his friends were sitting in.

He pushed the door open gently as to not frighten his friends. Four eyes turned to him, and two smiles met him as he entered.

He set his cat's basket on the seat next to one of his friends before lifting his trunk onto the shelf above their heads. Then he turned back to look at his friends with a fond smile.

Hiccup wasn't generous when it came to the word "friend". That title was only applicable to very few people in his life, and only two of them belonged in Ravenclaw with him.

There was Elsa Arendelle, by far one of the most knowledgeable people at Hogwarts. Her mind was like an encyclopedia, she stored knowledge like a squirrel stores food before winter. Her specialty was Astronomy. Just like Hiccup, she was guarded. She was a muggleborn, and her family were not very fond of her powers because she had accidentally hurt her younger half-sister, Anna, when they were children. Her parents had been relieved when they'd gotten the offer to send Elsa to Hogwarts. Anna thought her sister was attending a normal all girls' boarding school.

Then there was Rapunzel von Corona. The first thing you noticed about her was her thick golden hair which stopped just below her knees. It was usually styled in a thick braid. Then you'd notice her large and round green eyes. Whereas Elsa's colours were cold, Rapunzel's were warm and sunny. She came from an ancient pureblood family just like Hiccup himself, and she was the most creative and innovative person he knew. She always carried around her pet chameleon named Pascal, and she could also usually be seen with her wand behind her ear, although sometimes she'd also sport other items tucked there like quills, paint brushes, and cutlery.

"It's mental out there," he said as he sat down next to Elsa. He took Toothless' basket and unfastened the lid. The black feline immediately stuck his head out and meowed happily.

"Hogwarts' student body hasn't been this large since 1798," Elsa informed them. She had memorized _Hogwarts, A History_.

"We're the smallest year I think, right?" Rapunzel asked. Elsa nodded.

"Yes, we're only like 30 students," Hiccup said.

"28," Elsa corrected him.

"A frog is a frog," Hiccup said. Toothless had left his basket and was now lying on Hiccup's lap, watching everyone with curious green eyes.

"Do you think we'll all even fit in the train?" Rapunzel wondered.

As soon as she'd said it, the door to their compartment slid open and Astrid Hofferson poked her head inside. Her blue eyes immediately found Hiccup and she gave him an apologetic smile.

Things had been strange between them since they broken up right before Easter break last term. They had dated for nearly two years when they decided to split. They had both agreed that they just couldn't see themselves being together forever, and that had been it. Hiccup hadn't heard from her all summer, only knowing about her whereabouts from his father who worked with Astrid's mother in the Ministry of Magic.

"Heeey," she said, prolonging the E.

"Hi Astrid, where's the itch?" Hiccup asked. His face felt slightly strained as he smiled at the blonde Gryffindor. His hands were working the fur on his cat's back as to relax the animal and keep it from hiding.

"Well, we were wondering if maybe we could like, sit with you guys? It's pretty full back there," she said, again looking apologetic. She knew how Hiccup felt about being surrounded by people.

Before he could respond, Elsa fired a question at Astrid.

"Who's with you?" Her voice had turned to the cold and guarded tone she used with people she wasn't close with.

Astrid cast a quick glance behind herself, before turning her head back to the three people in the compartment.

"Me, Jack, and Merida," Astrid explained.

Hiccup knew the two other Gryffindors quite well. They were Astrid's best friends, along with the undeniably charming Eugene "Flynn" Fitzherbert. Hiccup focused his eyes on the space behind Astrid, and there he saw the top of Merida DunBroch's wild red mane.

"What do you think?" Elsa asked Rapunzel.

The golden blonde smiled. "Of course, we're only three in here."

Elsa looked at Hiccup. He met her icy eyes and smiled, before turning to Astrid. "Come in," he said.

Astrid entered, followed by Merida and Jack. Astrid and Jack sat next to Rapunzel while Merida fell down on the space between Hiccup and Elsa. Elsa scoffed at this.

"How was your summer Hiccup?" Astrid asked with slight uncertainty evident in her eyes.

"Oh y'know, totally boring and 100% completely uneventful," he said with clear sarcasm.

Astrid rolled her eyes, while Jack retorted. "Yes, I'm sure having your father being elected as the new Minister of Magic is so absolutely boring and sleep-enducing."

Hiccup scoffed. "You wouldn't believe how boring it actually is though, having to hear people drone on and _on_ about your father, it's like, yes I am his son, I know him pretty well by now, no need to try and tell me something I don't know."

Jack smirked. "They probably don't even realise you're related," he said jokingly. Hiccup snickered.

He wouldn't say he and Jack were close, but they'd hung out around each other while Hiccup and Astrid were dating, as had he and Astrid's other friends. And one thing Hiccup would never tell anyone was that he'd had a pretty swelling crush on Jack in their second and third year, before he'd become interested in Astrid.

Hiccup knew he liked boys just as much as he liked girls. He just chose to ignore it.

"How's London?" Astrid asked Hiccup.

Hiccup grew up in a small village up north called Berk, with his father Stoick. But after Stoick had become Minister they'd moved into a town house in London. It looked slim and bland on the outside, but it was enchanted so the inside was huge and spread over three stories, a cellar, and a loft. They'd moved only a week before Hiccup's return to Hogwarts, so he had no idea what the house would look like once it was fully furnished.

"I've been getting so much clean, fresh air," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"And the sound of traffic at two in the morning is absolutely delightful," Rapunzel commented. She also lived in London with her parents. Hiccup nodded before turning back to Astrid.

"What did you do?" he asked her.

"I mostly worked on Quidditch strategies with mum, and we spent a week in Norway for my nan's birthday, it was wild," said Astrid with a glad smile on her face.

Jack chuckled. "You can say that again," he said. He looked around at the others with a cheeky smile. "I had no idea what a party goldmine Norway is, Astrid's grandparents are absolute ballers, Flynn got so drunk that he went out naked in the snow with some of Astrid's family, it was hilarious, his bum looked like a tomato when he got back."

They all laughed at this. Hiccup had been to Norway to visit Astrid's crazy relatives once, and they really were a jolly bunch. She had also visited his extended family on the Faroe Islands, but there had been less snow bathing and more sitting around a table, quietly drinking and chatting until the wee hours of the morning.

"You realise he will kill you if he finds out you've told everyone that story," Merida said with a raised eyebrow, the remains of a good laugh in her voice.

"Honestly, I'm ready, I don't think I'll be able to deal with another whole year of professor Black's face," Jack said.

"That's why I didn't choose potions on N.E.W.T. level, it will be murder," Astrid said.

"You're also really bad at it," Hiccup reminded her.

"Shut up, like you're any better! I seem to recall a certain wee Hiccup Haddock blowing up three cauldrons last year," Astrid retorted.

"I've grown at least five inches since then!" Hiccup said, causing Jack and Merida to snort.

The conversation moved forward with banter and tales from summer. Jack had spent the summer working at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley. Rapunzel had been at home for the majority of her summer, which Hiccup already knew because they'd hung out quite a lot. So he and Rapunzel told the others about the days they'd spent in Rapunzel's family's large estate.

"How about you Elsa?" Jack asked when they'd all talked about their summers. Elsa had been looking out the window while the others had talked.

She turned her head and fixed her startling eyes on Jack. "It was nice," was all she said, before turning her attention back to the landscapes outside.

"That's good," Astrid said awkwardly, while Merida looked at Elsa with confused eyes.

Luckily, the lady with the food trolley managed to cut through the awkwardness and everyone bought snacks. Hiccup noticed that Jack didn't buy as much as the others, and he seemed to refrain from buying the more expensive items like Chocolate Frogs.

He had noticed before how Jack's school robes were hand-me-downs, as were his books and shoes. A few months after they'd started dating, Astrid told him that Jack's family didn't have much. His father had passed away when Jack was nine. He was muggle and had been a construction worker which didn't pay much, but they managed with Jack's mother's job as a Nurse in St. Mungo's. Now however, Jack's mother was left with having to provide for both Jack and his little sister Emma. That was all Hiccup knew, but he had a feeling there was more to it than that.

It wasn't something Hiccup thought about often while interacting with Jack, but sometimes he'd noticed the frayed threads of Jack's robe, or the faded colours on his tie, and felt sympathetic.

Hiccup had bought two Chocolate Frogs. While the others were talking, he leaned forward and handed one of them to Jack. Jack gave him a strange look, before closing his eyes and shaking his head subtly. He smiled gently, as if to say 'no thanks'. Hiccup huffed and threw the Chocolate Frog at Jack, who instinctively reached out and caught it, evidence of his position as Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Thanks," Jack said with a humble expression on his face.

"You're welcome," Hiccup replied kindly, before turning his attention back to the others' conversation. He could feel Jack's eyes on him.

Shortly after the food trolley had passed, Flynn entered the compartment with a disgruntled look on his face.

"How was the prefects' meeting?" Jack asked while chewing on a piece of enchanted glitter gum.

Flynn slid the compartment door shut, before sliding down onto the floor. He leaned his back against the door and closed his eyes. "I'm going to die," he whined. Jack gently shoved his head with his foot.

"I'm still fucking baffled that you became prefect," said Merida.

Flynn sighed and pushed Jack's intrusive foot away from his face. "Something about – fuck off Jack – something about me being super honourable when it counts, I don't even know what the Headmistress is doing at this point honestly."

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure she was shitfaced when she made that decision," Jack said, while continuing to annoy Flynn with his foot.

Flynn groaned in annoyance. "Jack if you don't get that fucking syphilis-ridden foot away from me right now -"

"That's not how syphilis is transmitted dumbass," Jack cut him off.

"You would fucking know," Flynn retorted.

Jack and Flynn kept bickering until Astrid cast a spell that made them inable to open their mouths.

"You will never speak again unless you promise to stop bickering."

They both complied to her terms, and the spell was undone. The rest of the train ride passed with friendly banter, and they all laughed at Flynn's embarresment when he found out that Jack had spilled the beans on what happened in Norway. Hiccup found that he felt quite content among the small group of friends and aquaintances, none of them seemed to care about his father's new position which was a relief. He remembered the looks he'd gotten when he arrived at Kings Cross with his father, he was pretty sure there'd been a Daily Prophet photographer snooping around. Hiccup was almost late to the train because his father was constantly stopped by curious wizards and witches. If he had to watch his father greet yet another cute toddler, he would probably vomit.

When the train came to a halt at Hogsmeade station, they all stood up, and suddemly the compartment became very crammed as the six teenagers tried to get their trunks from the shelves to the floor. Hiccup decided to let the others get their trunks first. Instead, he focused on trying to secure the lid of the cat basket, which Toothless was not happy about. The black cat kept swinging his front pws under the lid. In the end, Hiccup managed to close the lid, although Toothless was very dissatisfied. When Hiccup stood up again, he, Elsa, and Jack were the only ones left in the compartment, the others were waiting outside.

Hiccup reached up and grabbed the handle of his trunk. He lifted it off the shelf and placed it on the floor with a thud, almost sumiltaneously to Jack setting his trunk down.

"Jack, come on, we're gonna miss the carriages!" Merida huffed from the corridor. Jack cast one last look at the two people still in the compartment.

"I'll … see you inside," he said. A slight blush bloomed on his cheeks as he gave Hiccup a small wave.

"Sure," Hiccup said and gave Jack a friendly smile.

Jack left with Merida, Astrid, and Flynn. Rapunzel stood in the corridor with her trunk, tapping her feet to a silent tune.

"Need help?" Hiccup asked Elsa. She looked tired.

"No, I've got it." With a flick of her wand and a murmured spell, her trunk gently floated from the shelf down to the floor. She turned her attention back to her two friends, her face was softer and she smiled fodnly at her friends. "Let's go," she said.

They left the train, placed their trunks on the pavillion to be transported up to their dorms, and walked after the other students to the thestral-led carriages. The winged horse-like creatures were luckily invisible to Hiccup and his two friends. They got on the last carriage, and as soon as they'd settled down it began moving forward.

Hiccup never got tired of seeing Hogwarts. That particular evening was a stunning late-summer spectacle of clear skies and a bright moon illuminating the castle and the surrounding grounds in a soft pale light. It reminded Hiccup of the way light reflected off Jack's skin.

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reviews are greatly appreciated 3


	2. Chapter Two

_2: Can You Smell That?_

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The Great Hall was looking particularly autumnal on September 4th. The sky was a crisp, pale blue colour, and the sun's rays were pasty. It was like the enchanted ceiling that reflected the sky was also emitting scents this morning. The smell of cold air mixed with warm leaves and dying grass filled Hiccup's nostrils.

He was sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Rapunzel. It was a ritual of theirs to get up half an hour before everyone else and enjoy their breakfast in relative peace. Hiccup had filled his plate with eggs, bacon, beans, toast, and a marnelade sandwich. Rapunzel's plate was slightly more modest, with fresh sliced fruits. She hadn't eaten meat since they were third years, and she was quite content with that.

Rapunzel filled her goblet with pumpkin juice. Then she turned to open the satchel sat beside her on the bench. She dug around for a moment until she found the small vial she was looking for. It was half-full of a clear potion, the traces of the label were still evident on the bottle. She always ripped the label off. She poured a drop from the vial into her juice, which immediately changed colour from a warm, muted orange to a bright magenta. Then she wrapped her thin fingers around the goblet and downed the juice.

She had started taking the potion when they were twelve. It was the main reason Hiccup had taken the initiative to start getting up earlier than the others. The only people who knew Rapunzel's secret were her closest relatives, Hiccup, and Elsa.

"How can one little drop make an entire goblet of pumpkin juice taste so vile?" Rapunzel said while scrunching her nose in disgust.

"Don't ask me, I'm rubbish at Potions," Hiccup replied. He didn't mind being bad at Potions, he was good at every other subject he had.

Rapunzel sighed. "I'm really not in the mood to have Professor Black this morning," she said in a lowered voice.

"Just thinking about it makes me die a little inside," Hiccup said.

"Allthough," Rapunzel said in a more cheerful tone, "I feel like today is going to be the day where he shows us Amortentia." She smiled excitedly. Of course, she had merorized the entire sixth year curriculum. Rapunzel had a knack for potions, which was handy for her seeing as she wanted to be a Healer. Hiccup had thought of perhaps doing the same, which was why he'd chosen Potions on N.E.W.T. level. Now he was starting to feel like that had been the biggest mistake of his life.

"Oh joy, I can't wait until someone tries to slip it into Jack and Flynn." Hiccup knew how insane some of the people at Hogwarts could be when it came to their crushes. Hormone-driven fourteen year olds and magic was not a sensible mix.

Rapunzel tutted. "He's obviously not going to show us how to _make_ it you loon. Besides, it would be way too complicated for sixth years, even seventh years can't make it, it takes months to brew."

"I guess Gobber was right when he told mr love is complicated," Hiccup mused.

"It's not so bad," Rapunzel said, before forking a piece of pineapple and putting it in her mouth.

"Yes, after all you are the resident love-expert," Hiccup deadpanned.

Rapunzel glared at him. "Just because I haven't tried it doesn't mean I can't have an opinion," she said, before swallowing the piece of pineapple. "Besides, who was there to give you amazing advice when you were with Astrid? It was yours truly," she said matter-of-factly.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and smiled. It was true, Rapunzel's advice was always very simple, but somehow more helpful than Elsa's over-analytical rambles.

" _Listen to what_ you _want, don't try to please everyone else because at the end of the day it's your life and your happiness,_ " he quoted. Rapunzel beamed.

"See, it's so good you memorized it," she said proudly.

They ate the rest of their meal in relative silence. He began correcting his Potions homework, and Rapunzel who was an excellent upside-down reader, would occassionally give him some constructive critisism.

The first people to arrive to the Great Hall at the stroke of eight were the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Merida and Jack waved at Hiccup and Rapunzel. Astrid was nowhere to be seen, and Flynn looked particularly dead with his hair looking like an unruly mess. He was still very handsome though, Hiccup couldn't deny that.

"I hope he's well," Rapunzel said. Her green eyes followed Flynn all the way to the Gryffindor table.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Rapunzel. Then he too trained his eyes on their three Gryffindor aquaintances. Flynn sat down with his back turned to them, while Jack and Merida sat down on the opposite side. Jack's cheeks were tinged red and his white hair was windswept, a thin line of natural brown roots lined his forehead. Merida's hair was tied in a messy braid.

"I'm sure he is," Hiccup said to Rapunzel. "Some people just aren't cut out for six A.M. practice."

"And you are?" Rapunzel asked jokingly, turning her attention back to Hiccup.

"Of course, I'm more dedicated than those Gryffindors will ever be, which is why we're going to kick their sorry butts" He leaned back and smiled.

"Ugh, I hope so, I really can't deal with their smug faces," Elsa's voice suddenly sounded from beside them. The platinum blonde sat down next to Hiccup. "Now that we're paired with them for almost every class I might just have to decapitate myself."

"Is that a promise?" Hiccup asked her.

Elsa punched him lightly in the arm. "Shut up you brat."

As the Great Hall became full, the chatter of students and cutlery grew louder. Then the sounds of wings overtook all other noise as the owls arrived with mail. It was always a spectacular sight, hundreds of owls swooping into the Hall. Some of them were small, others were big, and they came in all shapes and breeds. Hiccup's owl came swooping down with his issue of the _Daily Prophet_. His dad had given him a twenty-year subscription to the wizarding newspaper as a present on the day of his first train ride to Hogwarts. Rapunzel's owl also arrived with goods in form of a small parcel from her mother, and the newest issue of _Witch Weekly_. She immediately began opening the parcel.

"Oh look!" she said breathlessly as she pulled out a few pieces of pale pink fabric. One of them was immaculate shiny silk, the other was a stiff, tightly woven tulle-like material. She caressed the fabrics with her hands and smiled fondly.

"Why did your mother send you random pieces of fabric?" Elsa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They're samples for my Yule Ball gown, obviously!" Rapunzel beamed, and held the fabrics to her chest. Then she took the letter that was also included in the parcel. She opened it. It contained two pieces of parchment, a letter which she placed on the table next to her plate, and a drawing that she handed to Elsa. "Isn't it just the most beautiful thing?"

Hiccup leaned in so he could also see the parchment. On it was a lovely drawing of Rapunzel, wearing an exquisite baby-pink gown. It was sleeveless with a floor-length poofy skirt.

"You're going to look like a proper princess," said Hiccup. He sat up straight and looked at his friend. "Your mum is incredible."

"I know!" Rapunzel said happily.

Hiccup turned his face to Elsa, only to find the strangest look in her deep icy eyes. Her cheeks were tinged with red, and her mouth was slightly agape.

He decided to break her trance. "What do you think Elsa?" he asked her slightly more audibly than usual.

She immediately looked up and the blush on her cheeks bloomed even firther. "Oh," she said, before turning to Rapunzel. "It's … magnificent, you're going to be so beautiful," she said earnestly, before handing the drawing back to her blonde friend. Hiccup rolled his eyes at Elsa's behaviour.

"Thank you," Rapunzel said. "I know it seems early to already be looking at designs and fabrics, but the Yule Ball is only four months away!"

"I have no idea what I'll wear," Elsa said.

Hiccup saw Rapunzel's eyes turn sympathetic. Elsa wasn't close with her mother, so she had never experienced that kind of mother-daughter bodning. Hiccup knew Elsa's sister had some nice dresses, Elsa had a picture of her in a beautiful dress with a black bodice and green skirt. He placed a gentle hand on Elsa's shoulder.

"We'll find something in Hogsmeade," Hiccup said, smiling fondly at his blue-eyed friend. He looked at Rapunzel who nodded, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. Hiccup could tell the gears in her brain had started spinning, working towards finding a solution to make Elsa happy.

 _That's so Rapunzel_ , he thought to himself.

"Yeah, I'm sure there'll be something in the charity shop," Elsa said with a forced smile. Then she began filling her plate with white bread and scrambled eggs.

The last thirty minutes of breakfast went as they usually did. Elsa and Hiccup compared their Arithmacy homework, Rapunzel told them about the crazy assignments they got in Divinition, and Elsa borrowed Rapunzel's issue of _Witch Weekly_ so she could read them their horoscopes.

"Oooh Hiccup, the love meter for Pisces has four out of five hearts." Elsa looked at Hiccup with a smug smile.

"I distinctly remember it having five hearts the week me and Astrid broke up, so I'll go out on a limb here and say that the _Witch Weekly_ horoscope isn't entirely accurate," Hiccup deadpanned.

Elsa ignored Hiccup's comment.

After breakfast they made their way down to the dungeons. Walking the familiar path through the corridors still made Hiccup feel slightly nostalgic. He remembered always walking with Astrid to the classes they had together, and holding her hand.

When they reached the dungeons, Hiccup's mood instantly dropped. The Potions classroom was as dark as ever, the light from the small windows illuminated the thick dust floating around the room, and the air was oddly moist. He, Elsa, and Rapunzel got their cauldrons from the back of the classroom. Then they went to a workstation in the middle row, the one closest to the window. The three of them sat down and brought up their books and homework.

Hiccup noticed Jack, Merida, and Flynn coming towards them. The three Gryffindors claimed the workstation next to the Ravenclaws'. Hiccup hadn't expected Jack to choose Potions on N.E.W.T. level.

Rapunzel, who was closest to the next workstation, turned to the Gryffindors. "Hi Flynn," she said.

Flynn instantly looked up from the spot on the table he'd been staring at. His hair looked slightly better, but his nose was red and the bags under his eyes were dark.

"You looked unwell at breakfast, I just wanted to see if you were okay?" she asked good-heartedly.

"Pretty boy's got the flu," Merida intercepted. "He can barely move his face."

"Honestly, how absolutely _idiotic_ do you have to be to not take your flu potion?" Jack jokingly asked, side eyeing his ill friend.

"You guys suck," Flynn said with a clearly stuffed nose.

"You should go to Madam Polone, she's got some amazing flu remedies," Rapunzel suggested.

"I'll do that in my free period after this, thanks," Flynn said and flashed her a crooked smile. Jack snickered at him.

"Oh, I have a free peiod after Potions too, we can go together! I have to speak with Madam Polone anyways," Rapunzel suggested.

Hiccup was surprised to see Flynn's cheeks redden ever so slightly.

"Uh yeah, that'd be cool," he said, trying to sound casual. But Hiccup narrowed his eyes, he saw right through it.

Hiccup turned his eyes to Jack. Jack looked back at him and made a gagging motion which made Hiccup chuckle.

But the last remnants of lightheartedness were sucked out of the room as professor Black entered in his floor-length dark dress robe (which was ancient wizard fashion, he had obviously not been keeping up with the latest trends in _Wizard Vogue_ ). The professor walked slowly until he stood behind the old desk. On the desk stood a large cauldron with a magically secured lid. He tapped the lid with his wand, and it clicked. Then he grabbed the lid's handle with his sceletal fingers and lifted it to reveal a steaming hot potion.

"I would not show you this if it weren't a fixed part of your curriculum," were the first words he said. His voice was smooth and cold, a demanding presence. "But I suppose this potion is a good example of how certain mixtures can affect us on a very individual level. None of you will experience the same scents with this potion." He let his hand glide in a curcular motion around the steam. "This is Amortentia. Can anyone tell me what that is?"

Rapunzel's hand shot up into the air.

"Yes von Corona?"

Rapunzel lowered her hand. "Amortentia is the strongest love potion in the world, if you fall victim to it you will never recover, there is no known antidote."

Professor Black nodded. Hiccup scoffed. If a Slytherin student had given an equally accurate answer, the professor would have given them at least five house points. But because Rapunzel was a Ravenclaw, she got none.

"And what can you say about the scent of the potion?" the professor asked, still digging his eyes into Rapunzel.

"The scent alters itself to fit the things you love most, it digs up your deepest desires and brings them out to make the potion seem more enticing to drink," she replied.

Professor Black scowled slightly. "Good, two points to Ravenclaw."

Hiccup huffed internally.

"Now you will all come up here and smell the potion for yourselves," the professor said. "Afterwards you will get ten minutes to discuss with your partners what you smelled in order to truly understand how the potion produces different scents for everyone. Front row is first."

Hiccup watched as the students who sat in the front row got up and go to the front desk. Each student had a dazed look in their eyes once they returned to their seats. Once the first and second rows were done, it was time for the middle row to gather around the cauldron. Hiccup, Rapunzel, Elsa and the three Gryffindors clumsily made their way through the tight gaps between tables and stools, until they reached the front desk. Professor Black was stood by the door that lead into the back room, with his wand out and ready in case of mayhem.

The six teens gathered around the desk and leaned their heads in to get a proper whiff of the potion, without accidentally tripping over each other's robes. Hiccup inhaled deeply. At first, all he could feel in his nostrils was warm steam, but as the seconds passed the aroma developed, as if the potion was digging through his brain.

The first scents seemed very obvious. The smell of old, leather bound books, a newly polished broomstick, autumn leaves, the fire in the Ravenclaw common room, Gobber's workshop … all things Hiccup had expected. But then came other scents. A sweet fruity perfume he had never smelled before. Snow. Gassoline. And some scents he couldn't even name, but they felt warm and familiar, safe.

His trance was broken by professor Black's voice, the professor told them to go back to their seats. Hiccup now understood why the other students had looked so dazed, he felt like he'd just woken up from a long nap. Those last scents lingered in his nose like distant memories where you can only remember faint details like certain colours or sounds.

He and his friends sat down in their seats, but none of them spoke. He looked at Elsa and Rapunzel, and both of them seemed just as bewildered as he was. He turned his head to look at the table next to them. Merida and Flynn seemed to be deep in thought, while Jack looked … almost _distressed_. His blue eyes were trained on the ceiling and he sighed. This sparked Hiccup's natural curiosity, but Jack was sitting too far away fot Hiccup to start up casual conversation, and he didn't want to over step any boundaries. After all, they weren't _that_ close.

When the last students had finished with the potion, professor Black ordered them to start discussing their experiences. It seemed as if the pupils woke up, and suddenly everyone was chatting vividly about what they'd felt.

"What did you smell Elsa?" Rapunzel asked.

"Chocolate, books, my duvet, all the standard things really," she explained while making a waving motion with her hand as if she wanted to shove it to the side.

"Oh, well I smelled flowers and sunshine, and you know that smell puppies have?" Rapunzel beamed, although it did seem slightly forced.

"No I don't go around sniffing newborn animals," Elsa responded.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and turned in her seat. "What did you guys smell?" she asked the Gryffindors.

"I for one, was overwhelmed by the smell of _blood!_ " Jack exclaimed, making Hiccup and Merida laugh while the others sighed audibly.

And so the conversation went back and forth between the two tables. When it was Hiccup's turn to explain, he did as the others had done and only described the more superficial scents. He was starting to doubt weather the others had even felt anything deeper then that.

After the ten minutes had passed, professor Black was ready to calm them down with a theoretical lecture. Hiccup didn't mind, this meant he didn't have to do anything for the rest of the lesson except take notes which suited him just fine.

When class was over, everyone left the dungeon in a rushed flurry, no one wanted to stay there longer than nessecary. Once they'd gotten back up into the light corridors, Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief. The tall windows that lined the hallways were almost blinding, generously showering them with the sun's pale light.

They had walked with Jack, Merida, and Flynn until they were only a few turns away from the Entrance Hall. That was where they split from Flynn, Rapunzel, Elsa and Merida. Flynn and Rapunzel were going to the Hospital Wing while Elsa and Merida had Alchemy together, which was in the same direction.

This left Jack and Hiccup. They both had Care Of Magical Creatures.

"Looks like it's just me and you," Jack said with a shrug, as they slowly began making their way in the direction of the Entrance Hall.

"And Mrs. Blevins," Hiccup commented and gestured towards a very, very large painting of a tall woman riding a horse made out of cushions. She gave them a friendly wave as they passed her painting.

"And … whatever that is," Jack said as a smaller painting of a person with two heads came into view. One of the heads was that of a bassethound, the other was that of a maine coon, and they growled at each other like there was no tomorrow.

"I can't quite remember the name of it, but it's a metaphor for our inner battles," Hiccup informed Jack. Hiccup had Art as an extra curricular, in which they often discussed the various paintings that adorned the castle.

Jack tutted. "No shit, a toddler could figure that out." The heads in the painting immediately turned their four animal eyes to him and glared angrily.

"You know the painter's ghost will probably wet your bed now," Hiccup said.

Jack shrugged. "I needed to change the sheets anyways."

"You do know ghost pee is cursed, right?" Hiccup asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jack looked up at him. "That's not true," he said, before looking ahead.

"Oh but it is, every person who gets in contact with ghost urine will get horrible boils that will eventually cover their entire bodies, but -" Hiccup was cut off by Jack, who was looking at him again, this time with wide eyes.

"You're being absolutely serious," Jack gaped. "Merlin Hiccup!" he exclaimed. "How do I say sorry to a _ghost?_ "

Hiccup shrugged. "How should I know? I don't go around bothering the deceased."

"If my perfect complexion gets ruined by boils, you're paying for the surgery to get them removed," Jack said.

"You can't remove cursed boils, but don't worry, I'll try to be your friend even though you're going to be hideous." Hiccup smirked.

Jack frowned at him.

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" he asked the taller boy.

"Yup," was Hiccup's simple reply.

Jack sighed, but then he smiled.

The rest of the walk to the Entrance Hall was comfortably silent. Before they exited the castle, Hiccup pulled his Ravenclaw scarf out from his rucksack and wrapped it around his slender neck. Jack didn't seem to have thought of bringing a scarf, which was regretful because the air was rather chilly. The sun was now hidden behind a large and thick cloud that threatened to grow and cover the entire sky.

Hiccup breathed in the air and listened closely as his boot-clad feet hit the dying grass. While it was stressfull to have people's eyes constantly trained on him, he was still relieved to be back at Hogwarts, away from his fathers prying.

He turned to look at Jack. Jack was facing straight ahead, the slight rosy teint on his cheeks was becoming more apparent outside.

Hiccup suddenly remembered something.

"Hey Jack, where was Astrid at breakfast?" he asked.

Jack didn't turn his face as he replied. "She skipped breakfast to work on Quidditch strategies." He shrugged; this was not unexpected. Then he turned to look at Hiccup. "Don't tell her I told you, but she's stressing out about playing against your team, you're really strong this year."

"Did she even eat?" Hiccup asked, with concern evident in his eyes.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yes of course she did. I brought her breakfast before first period."

"Good," Hiccup concluded.

They walked in silence once again, until they were halfway there. The Womping Willow's leaves had scattered all around the grounds, and they crunched delightfully under the boys' shoes. Jack opened his mouth and took a deep breath.

"Do you still … have feelings for Astrid?" Jack asked, without looking at Hiccup.

Hiccup looked at him curiously. He wondered why Jack would ask him that, seeing as they weren't the closest of friends. But perhaps Jack was just concerned. After all, Astrid seemed to have moved on very well and maybe the Gryffindor boy was just worried Hiccup's heart wasn't healing at the same pace. So Hiccup decided to answer truthfully.

"Yes, the feelings are pretty much gone at this point. I think not seeing her this summer helped," he said. "But some things are still weird." He glanced up at the sky and noticed that the cloud had grown. He then turned his face back and found Jack watching him with curious eyes.

The white-haired boy smiled gently. "Astrid is a lot better now too." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "I'm glad things aren't weird, so we can still hang out without me having to pick her side."

They had now reached the edge of the forest. Around half of the class was already present, the professor wasn't set to appear for two more minutes.

"What, you wouldn't pick my side?" Hiccup chuckled.

Jack shook his head and gave Hiccup a faux-stern look. "I only do blondes."

"I could dye my hair," was Hiccup's retort.

"You'd look ridiculous," Jack objected, now looking at Hiccup's unruly brown hair.

Hiccup smirked. "Just like you do."

Jack snorted haughtily. "I look incredible, thank you very much."

"Yeah, and I bet that head of yours works great as a reflective surface during foggy Quidditch games," said Hiccup.

"Yes, it's multi-functional," was Jack's conclusion.

"You know, you're so pale that that hair colour makes you look bald from a distance," Hiccup commented while squinting at Jack's head.

"That's a low blow, I'll have you know the reason for my porcelain complexion is that I have Veela blood," Jack stated proudly.

Hiccup snorted. "Yes, and my dad's a dragon."

"Well, he's just as large as one," Jack said.

"I have nothing to say to that because you're absolutely right." Hiccup shook his head gently and chuckled.

Jack crossed his arms. "I'm the best," he said with his eyes turned skyward.

Their banter was disrupted by the Care Of Magical Creatures professor, who exited the small hut. Her name was Ms. Bighte, and she was a small red haired woman with fierce brown eyes and a jolly waist. Instead of holding a typical practical lesson, she invited all of the students to tea and theory in her hut. They weren't a big class, yet space was limited and Hiccup and Jack ended up sitting on the floor with their backs against the door.

Halfway through the lesson, rain began drumming down onto the hut's roof. The seasons were changing.

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reviews are greatly appreciated 3


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